How Do I Choose the Best Natural Eye Cream?

Choosing the best natural eye cream may not be as easy as it sounds. Ideally, the natural eye cream should be packaged in a glass cosmetics jar rather than in plastic to prevent chemicals from leeching into the cream. In addition, it is important to pay close attention to the ingredients on the label, as some ingredients may be harmful to one's health. It often is best to find a product with the most organic ingredients as well. Although a good natural eye cream can be purchased, it also may be made at home.

The area around the eye is a sensitive area that is often prone to fine wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness. As a result, it may be difficult to find a product that works and is safe. Looking at the container, however, may be a good place to start. Many popular brands store their products in plastic containers. This type of container material may contain harmful chemicals that can be transferred into the product. When the product is applied to the eye area, the chemicals may then seep into the person's skin and into the body, causing potential harm over time.

Beyond the container, it is important to read the ingredient label when choosing the best natural eye cream. Some ingredients are safe to use, especially if they are natural and organic. For example, many natural eye creams contain shea butter and a plenitude of natural extracts and oils, such as lavender, comfrey root, red clover, jojoba seed, and seaweed extract. Even if a product says that it is organic, it might only have one or two organic ingredients and may still contain chemical ingredients. In addition, a label stating that it is natural may contain chemical ingredients as well.

There are a few ingredients of which consumers should be wary. The general ingredient listed as "fragrance" should prompt skepticism, as the ingredients creating the fragrance are not listed on the label. In addition, if the natural eye cream contains any one of the parabens, it should generally be avoided. Parabens are believed by some people to cause problems with the endocrine and reproduction systems. Retinol or retinyl palmitate may also raise concern, as some studies have linked those ingredients to skin cancer.

Some of the safest and most effective natural eye creams are those that are made at home. Simple recipes for a natural eye cream include mixing a raw avocado slice with a few drops of almond oil. It can be dabbed around the eye to moisturize the eye area and reduce dark circles and fine lines. Another simple recipe includes mixing cucumber extract with green tea extract. More advanced do-it-yourselfers can gently heat beeswax, apricot kernel oil, and jojoba oil and then mix it with rose water and carrot seed oil.